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public Observing fromLocation: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
SunriseRise: 6:04  
clear_day Transit: 12:06  
SunsetSet: 18:09
sunny DaytimeWhat's Visible Now?
All Constellations » 

Orion (The Hunter) Constellation

Altitude: -8.2°   Azimuth: 73.4°   Direction: East-North-East

Orion (pronounced oʊˈraɪən) is the Latin name of a large constellation (in fact it extends itself for about 36 degrees across the sky) situated close to the celestial equator. As such, it is at least partly visible from both hemispheres in certain times of the year.

In English language this constellation is also known as "The Hunter" while in astronomical texts and literature this constellation is often abbreviated as "Ori" (according to the standard of the International Astronomical Union - IAU) or as "Orio" (according to a naming convention used by NASA).

The Latin genitive of the constellation name is "Orionis" (pronounced oʊˈraɪənɪs, ˌɒriˈoʊnɪs) and it is used to identify some of the brightest stars in this constellation based on the Bayer or Flamsteed star naming convention. For instance: α Orionis (the brightest star of Orion based on the Bayer catalog); or 23 Orionis (the 23th star in the constellation of Orion based on the Flamsteed catalog).

Orion is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt.
Available Resources for Orion

Sky Chart of Orion Constellation

Here we provide a simplified sky chart of the Orion constellation. Alternatively it is possible to locate Orion in the night sky using our Online Interactive Planetarium.

Chart of  constellation
This constellation image is derivatve work based on original work by IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg) CC-BY-3.0.

Visibility of Orion Constellation

Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London

Today's Orion rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt are the following (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):

Azimuth: 86.3°
Max altitude: 42.3°
Azimuth: 273.7°
Orion is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom

The rise and set times provided here are just directional indications and they refer to a point approximately placed at the center of the constellation. In case of very large constellations (like Orion actually is) these times can have little relevance.

Bright Stars in Orion Constellation

The table below lists the top 20 brightest stars in the Orion constellation. See also the complete list of 222 stars brighter than magnitude 6.5 (approximate) in the constellation of Orion. Click on each star to see more details about it.

HR Number(*) Star designation Proper name Visual magnitude Color Notes
HR1713 β Orionis Rigel 0.12 Variable; Multiple;
HR2061 α Orionis Betelgeuse 0.5 Variable; Multiple;
HR1790 γ Orionis Bellatrix 1.64 Variable; Double;
HR1903 ε Orionis Alnilam 1.7 Variable; Double;
HR1948 ζ Orionis Alnitak 2.05 Variable; Multiple;
HR2004 κ Orionis Saiph 2.06 Variable;
HR1852 δ Orionis Mintaka 2.23 Variable; Multiple;
HR1899 ι Orionis Hatysa 2.77 Variable; Multiple;
HR1543 π3 Orionis Tabit 3.19 Variable; Double;
HR1788 η Orionis 3.36 Variable; Multiple;
HR1879 λ Orionis Meissa 3.54 Variable; Multiple;
HR1735 τ Orionis 3.6 Multiple;
HR1552 π4 Orionis 3.69 Variable;
HR1567 π5 Orionis 3.72 Variable;
HR1931 σ Orionis 3.81 Multiple;
HR1580 ο2 Orionis 4.07 Multiple;
HR1907 φ2 Orionis 4.09
HR2124 μ Orionis 4.12 Variable; Multiple;
HR1784 29 Orionis 4.14
HR1839 32 Orionis 4.2 Double;
...go to the complete list of 222 bright stars in the constellation of Orion

(*) HR stands for Harvard Revised Bright Star Catalogue, which is also known as the Yale Catalogue of Bright Stars.

Deep Sky Objects in Orion Constellation

The table below lists the 20 brightest deep sky objects in the Orion constellation. See also the complete list of 95 deep sky objects in the constellation of Orion. The list includes objects from the Messier, New General Catalogue (NGC) and Index Catalogue (IC).

Name Type Magnitude
NGC 1980 (Lower Sword) Star Cluster + Nebula 2.5 (V)
Messier 42 (Great Orion Nebula) Star Cluster + Nebula 4 (V)
NGC 1981 (Upper Sword) Star Cluster + Nebula 4.2 (V)
NGC 1788 Reflection Nebula 5.8 (B)
NGC 2169 Open Cluster 5.9 (V)
NGC 1662 Open Cluster 6.4 (V)
NGC 2175 Star Cluster + Nebula 6.8 (V)
NGC 1973 Nebula 7 (B)
NGC 1975 Nebula 7 (B)
NGC 2071 Star Cluster + Nebula 8 (B)
Messier 78 Reflection Nebula 8 (V)
NGC 2194 Open Cluster 8.5 (V)
NGC 2186 Open Cluster 8.7 (V)
Messier 43 (Mairan's Nebula) HII Ionized region 9 (V)
NGC 2180 Open Cluster 9 (B)
NGC 2112 Open Cluster 9.1 (V)
NGC 2141 Open Cluster 9.4 (V)
NGC 1999 Reflection Nebula 9.5 (B)
IC 434 (Flame Nebula) HII Ionized region 11 (B)
...go to the complete list of 95 deep sky objects in the constellation of Orion